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Covid news – live: Minister resigns over failure to recoup coronavirus fraud losses as travel tests scrapped



Boris Johnson says all travel testing will be scrapped for vaccinated UK arrivals

Treasury minister Lord Agnew has resigned from the government over how it has handled fraudulent Covid business loans.

The Conservative peer marched out of the House of Lords, saying “schoolboy errors” had been made in a “desperately inadequate” operation.

He was updating peers about £4.3bn of loans – written off by the Treasury – which Labour said has gone to “fraudsters”.

In what has been described as “one of the most dramatic moments ever seen” in the upper chamber, Lord Agnew slammed his folder shut, said “thank you and goodbye”, and immediately left to applause.

“Given that I am the minister for counter-fraud, it would be somewhat dishonest to stay on in that role if I am incapable of doing it properly,” he said.

It comes as people arriving in England from abroad will no longer have to take Covid tests if they have been vaccinated, Boris Johnson said on Monday.

The prime minister said the rule change was designed to show that the country was open for business and travellers, though he did not say when the requirement would change. Further details are expected to be given later on Monday.



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